


Marriage is a Business

by paladinquen (postmodern_robot)



Series: NedCan Week 2016 [1]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Historical AU, M/M, NedCan Week 2016, actually related to a previous fic, it's not really explicit, my first attempt at writing anything remotely explicit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-28
Updated: 2016-06-28
Packaged: 2018-07-18 18:21:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7325587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/postmodern_robot/pseuds/paladinquen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Day 1 fill for NedCan Week 2016 (Historical AU) / related to 'The Way to You'</p>
<p>Matthieu and Willem's business is open, a new life awaits.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Marriage is a Business

**Author's Note:**

> This little one-shot is actually related to my previous fic ['The Way to You'](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5696140/chapters/13120747). A little bit of a look into one of Matthew's past lives, the one where Matthew was the illegitimate son of an English merchant and a French-Canadian woman, while Ned (Willem in this life) is the son of a merchant based in Batavia, then Dutch Malaka when it was actually in custodianship of the English (at which time I assume it was spelt ‘Malacca’). During the Napoleonic Wars, France occupied the Netherlands. When that happened, the Dutch surrendered their overseas territories temporarily to the English so that they would not fall into French hands. 
> 
> (And yes, Matthew's name in his past life is Matthieu, because I have no imagination :P)

_Malaka, 1802_

Willem didn’t even let Matthieu take five steps into the new bedroom before he had him trapped against the wall, kissing the life out of him.

Their home, their office, their business, their partnership. Willem said it was the closest thing to a marriage they could have. They were far from Europe, out here in Malacca, and far from anyone who could truly harm them. Outside, the frontage of their shophouse, both an office and home, on Jonkerstraat (‘Call it Jonker Street Willem, that’s the name now’, but Willem never would) read ‘closed’.

Willem placed a knee between Matthieu’s legs and bit into his neck, desperate, ecstatic, as if this was going to be the only moment they would have together in their lives.

“Ah! Oh God, too much Will-” Willem covered his mouth with a kiss again, and Matthieu could feel the dizzying heat building. He had never quite adjusted to the heat and humidity common to these parts, and Malacca had a pleasant sea breeze. But they always kept the windows closed when they did this. Yes, they were far from Europe, but they still had to be careful.

The kiss softened and Willem pulled back, breathing heavily. He caressed Matthieu’s face with his hands. “I’m sorry I just…” He smiled. “From the day I met you, I never dared to dream…and here we are.”

Matthieu smiled and pulled Willem back to kiss him at a more leisurely pace and pulled back slowly. “Here we are,” He murmured against Willem’s lips. “I cannot believe you dreamed of me, I was just an idiot boy fresh off the boat who got lost.”

Willem gently tipped Matthieu’s face up with his fingers. “You were, you are, the most wonderful being I have ever seen. I’m still amazed you gave me the time of day instead of telling me to go away. I’m amazed you wanted to be my friend and you let me take you around this town. A Dutch boy, despite how much your father disliked me.”

“My father?” Matthieu nipped Willem’s lower lip. “I’m the one with the French name, don’t act like it was just hard for you.” He teased and looked down, getting to work on the buttons of Willem’s jacket, then the ties on his shirt. “You’re cruel, to just let me stand here in all these clothes, you know how I swelter in this humidity.”

Willem didn’t need any more prodding after that, and they eagerly helped each other out of their clothes. Matthieu breathed a sigh of relief at the cooler air hitting his damp skin after Willem pulled his shirt off, he breathed another sigh of relief when Willem pulled off his trousers after he got Matthieu to lie down on their cot on the floor. Weaved with bamboo, it was cooler than any other bedding they could find, which was what Matthieu needed. He wondered if anyone would find it odd, how well kept their outside bedroom/studies were. If it would be too obvious that they rarely, if ever, would be sleeping in them. Then there was no more time for thought, only for feeling, and closeness, and skin on skin, then even more, the merging of body and mind, the melding of souls, then something beyond their union in the height and haze of pleasure, love and care.

Something touching the the stars and heaven itself.

No one would ever convince Matthieu that their love could be a sin, not when it allowed them to touch the goodness of being like this. Which was amazing, because Matthieu had never suffered like others had, before meeting Willem. He had never wanted like this, never understood why others were made so weak by it. Then a strange Dutch boy found him in front of the Stadhuys and talked to him for a whole day and everything changed.

Their love could not be a sin, not when it had changed him and filled him the way it had, and made both of them better men. After catching his breath, he turned to his side and saw Willem fighting sleep. “Don’t fight it.” Matthieu smiled, caressing his lover’s face. “There’s always later.”

Later they were content to feel and gently tease, but mostly talk.

“You planned this.” Matthieu accused without bite.

Willem shrugged, not even bothering to deny it. “We signed all the papers today, asked the Church to bless our fortunes and our business. Kirkland and Van der Meulen is finally officially our own. Our home is ready…all that was missing really was the consummation.” He grinned.

“You don’t need to plan to seduce me. But this is really…true, isn’t it? We’re in business.”

Willem shrugged. “And what was marriage but a business deal, before those silly French people added all the confusion to it?”

Matthieu punched him without bite and rolled his eyes. “Charming, as usual.”

“Too bad, you already signed the papers.” Willem grinned. “Can’t get rid of me now.”

Matthieu sighed and agreed in mock suffering. “Can’t get rid of you now.”

 

* * *

 

When the sun rose, Matthieu opened the doors to his shop with a smile. He tipped the boy who delivered him the paper and sat to read the news.

“Anything about home?” Willem asked, striding in with a cup of tea for Matthieu. “Is the rabbit King still there?”

Matthieu gave him the paper. “At least the children must like him, and he is making an effort to speak the language of his new subjects. I imagine Napoleon must not be happy with his brother being…less than imperial.”

“Napoleon is a fool if he thinks any foreign King can rule over mine without putting some effort into convincing them he’s adjusting to their ways.”

Matthieu took his partner’s hand, “And it won’t last, love. Let them fight their stupid wars, let them be over there. We are here, now.”

Willem squeezed his hand. “And there is nowhere else I would rather be.”

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly, this story could have taken place in any time period I guess, sorry about that :P I tried my best to make it historical, with the mention of Napoleon, and the transitional feel of Malaka from Dutch to English governance. Today's Jonkerstraat is a tourist attraction lined with loads of vendors selling their wares. 
> 
> Malaka was once an independent Southeast Asian Malay Sultanate that was colonized by the Portuguese in 1511 for its key position in the spice trade. The Dutch took Malacca in 1641 and ruled it for almost 183 years, except for the time period that this fic takes place in, between 1795 to 1818, when the city was governed by the English. From 1825 to 1941, Malacca was a colony of Britain, and was then occupied by the Japanese from 1941 to 1946 in World War II. Britain regained control of Malaya, and thus, Malacca from 1946 to 1957, after which, Melaka became a state in the country of Malaysia until today. 
> 
> Napoleon installed his brother as the King of the Netherlands, except that the poor man couldn’t really pronounce ‘King’ and ended up calling himself the Rabbit of the Netherlands instead. Hey, the kids must have liked him. Thanks to cantdutchthis for that little fact.


End file.
